Renewable Energy: It's a National Security Issue

While Americans will no doubt continue to debate our military commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan, what is clear is that the antagonistic dynamics of the U.S. relationship with the Muslim world are not likely to change significantly in the near term , in large part because of oil. This unfortunate reality, viewed in light of the history of dysfunctional relationships between the Muslim world and the United States, leads to the conclusion that if the renewable energy community does not broaden its political base in order to accelerate our nation’s diversification away from oil, the potential for future conflicts and regional instability in the Middle East and Central Asia will likely increase. The national security frame offers renewable energy advocates an opening to achieve this goal. While political conservatives tend to be skeptical of man-made climate change -- a pheno...